.38-44

[zxcvbob]

Just be careful -- maybe buy some new Starline brass for your hot .38/44 loads.

I recently tried loading some CBC .38 Special brass (it looked strong) to an estimated 38000 psi and got case head seperations on about half of it. (It shot real good though...) I scrapped all of that brass.

I've decided that where I screwed up was starting right at the max, thinking it still had some margin. This was using Blue Dot powder; there's since been a bulletin from Alliant about overpressure using Blue Dot in some .357 and .41 Magnum loads.

 

[Checkman]

Saxon

I agree with you, but when it comes to compromising (which never pleases anybody) almost sometimes has to do. What I meant was the old +P+ 38 special load was still better than the 38 special.Was it as good as the .357 magnum? Nope, but there is that compromising thing again.

Sometimes cops and soldiers carry what their respective employers tell them to carry. Not much choice in the matter. Unfortunately. Of course we could go on and on about politics and public relations, but why bother?

Yes the 110 grain bullet was too light, but times change as does technology.

 

[Peter M. Eick]

I have not had good luck with blue dot and high pressure loads. It seems to get erratic "for me". 2400, SR4756, AA9, etc seem to work best for me.

 

[Cosmoline]

Wasn't a 38-44 originally a blackpowder load?

I think you're getting mixed up a bit. The .38-44 emerged in the 1930's to go with Smith's heavy duty frame. It is not possible to load a .38 to anything close to that power with BP, and BP was moribund by that time.

Edit--I see it's already been corrected. Anyway heres' a good overview:

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BQY/is_5_46/ai_60897647

 

[green country shooter]

The police in Miami, Oklahoma carried the .38-44 back in the gangster days of the 1930s because they expected to have to shoot through cars. The first Miami police officer killed in the line of duty was carrying one, and did use it effectively to kill his attackers (who were in a car), even reloading under fire after taking a fatal hit.